Unlocking Your Audience: A Beginner's Guide to Google Keyword Planner for Search Volume
Meta Description: Learn how to use Google Keyword Planner, a powerful free tool, to estimate search volumes for your keywords. This step-by-step tutorial is perfect for beginners looking to boost their online visibility.
Introduction: Drowning in Content, Starving for Traffic?
Ever feel like you’re shouting into the void with your online content? You spend hours crafting blog posts, perfecting product descriptions, or building service pages, but the visitors just aren’t showing up. It’s frustrating, right? The truth is, even the most brilliant content won't get seen if it's not optimized for what people are actually searching for.
This is where keyword research comes in, and thankfully, Google offers a fantastic, free tool to get you started: Google Keyword Planner. If you’re a beginner eager to understand what your potential audience is typing into Google, and how often, this guide is your roadmap to more visibility and engagement. Let's demystify search volume and put you on the path to online success!
What is Google Keyword Planner, and Why Should You Care?
Google Keyword Planner is a free tool provided by Google within its Google Ads platform. While it's primarily designed to help advertisers find keywords for their paid campaigns, it's an absolute goldmine for anyone doing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or content marketing.
Why is it so important for you?
Understand Audience Demand: It tells you (approximately) how many times a specific keyword or phrase is searched on Google each month. This "search volume" is crucial for knowing if there's enough interest in a topic.
Discover New Ideas: It helps you unearth new keyword ideas related to your business, uncovering terms you might never have thought of.
Gauge Competition: It provides a "Competition" level (Low, Medium, High) for advertising, which can give you a rough idea of how competitive a keyword might be for organic ranking too.
Plan Your Content Strategy: Knowing what people search for helps you create content that directly answers their questions and needs, attracting more relevant visitors.
Think of it as having a direct line to what your potential customers are thinking when they turn to Google.
Getting Started: Accessing Google Keyword Planner
Before we dive into the fun stuff, you need a Google account. If you have a Gmail account, you're already halfway there!
Step 1: Sign Up for a Google Ads Account (Don't Worry, It's Free to Use the Planner!)
Go to the Google Ads website (
https://ads.google.com/ Click "Start now" or "Sign in."
You'll be prompted to create an account or sign in with an existing Google account.
Google Ads will try to guide you through setting up your first campaign. You don't need to run an ad campaign to use Keyword Planner. When it asks you to set up your first campaign or enter billing information, look for a small link that says "Are you a professional marketer?" or "Skip campaign creation" or "Switch to Expert Mode." Click that.
If you land on a page asking about your business goals, look for the "Switch to Expert Mode" option, usually at the bottom. This bypasses the guided setup.
Once in Expert Mode, it might still prompt you to create a campaign. Look for an option to "Explore your account" or "Skip campaign creation for now."
Crucially: You will likely need to enter billing information during the initial setup, even if you don't intend to run ads. You can immediately pause any campaign you create to avoid charges. Google sometimes places a temporary authorization charge, which is usually reversed.
Step 2: Navigating to Keyword Planner
Once you're logged into your Google Ads account, look for the "Tools" icon (it often looks like a wrench 🔧 or a hammer) in the top right corner of the dashboard.
Click on it, and a dropdown menu will appear.
Under the "Planning" section, you'll see "Keyword Planner." Click on it.
Voilà ! You're in. You'll see two main options: "Discover new keywords" and "Get search volume and forecasts." For our purpose of estimating search volume, we'll focus on both.
Step-by-Step Tutorial: Estimating Search Volume with Google Keyword Planner
Let's walk through the process of finding keyword ideas and their search volumes.
Option A: Discover New Keywords (Best for Starting Fresh)
This option is perfect when you have a general idea of your business or topic but want to brainstorm more specific keyword ideas.
Step 3: Start with Keywords or a Website
Click on "Discover new keywords."
You'll see two tabs:
"Start with keywords": This is where you enter words or phrases related to your products, services, or content topics. You can enter up to 10 keywords, separated by commas. Example: "vegan recipes," "plant-based meal prep," "healthy eating tips."
"Start with a website": If you have a competitor's website, or even your own, you can paste the URL here. Google will scan the site and suggest keywords relevant to its content. You can choose to scan the entire site or a specific page. This is fantastic for competitive analysis! Example: Your competitor's blog URL.
For beginners, starting with keywords is often simpler. Enter your seed keywords.
You can also choose to add your domain to filter out keywords not related to what you offer, which can be helpful.
Click "Get results."
Step 4: Analyze Your Keyword Ideas
You'll now be on the "Keyword ideas" page, which is packed with valuable data!
Adjust Your Targeting: At the top of the page, ensure your "Locations," "Language," and "Search Networks" are set correctly for your target audience. For instance, if you only serve customers in the USA, make sure "United States" is selected.
Understand the Metrics:
Keyword (by relevance): This column lists the keyword ideas Google has generated.
Avg. monthly searches: This is the golden metric! It shows an estimated range of how many times people search for that keyword each month. Note: For accounts without active ad campaigns, Google Keyword Planner often shows search volume as ranges (e.g., 1K-10K, 10K-100K) rather than exact numbers. Running a small, inexpensive ad campaign can sometimes unlock more precise data, but the ranges are still highly valuable for beginners.
Competition: This indicates the relative competition for ad placements (Low, Medium, High). While it's for PPC, it can give you a general idea of how many other businesses are targeting that term, which often correlates with organic competition.
Top of page bid (low range) / (high range): These are estimated costs if you were to bid on these keywords for Google Ads. They can hint at the commercial value of a keyword.
Filter and Sort:
Filters: Use the "Add filter" option to refine your results. You can filter by:
Avg. monthly searches: To see only keywords above a certain volume.
Competition: To find less competitive keywords.
Keyword text: To include or exclude specific words.
Sort: Click on the column headers (e.g., "Avg. monthly searches") to sort the list in ascending or descending order. Sorting by highest search volume is a common practice to identify popular terms.
Export Your Data: Look for the download icon (usually a down arrow). You can download your keyword ideas as a CSV file or Google Sheets, which makes it easy to analyze and organize your findings offline.
Option B: Get Search Volume and Forecasts (Best for Existing Keyword Lists)
This option is perfect if you already have a list of keywords you're interested in and just want to see their search volume and potential performance.
Step 5: Input Your Keywords
Back on the main Keyword Planner screen, click "Get search volume and forecasts."
You can either:
"Paste a list of keywords": Simply type or paste your keywords, one per line or separated by commas.
"Upload a file": If you have a large list in a CSV file, you can upload it here.
Click "Get started."
Step 6: Review Your Forecasts and Historical Metrics
You'll land on the "Forecast" page. This section primarily focuses on what you could achieve with Google Ads.
To see the historical search volume data, click on the "Historical Metrics" tab. This will show you the average monthly searches for your inputted keywords, along with competition and bid estimates, similar to the "Discover new keywords" section.
Again, adjust your "Locations," "Language," and "Date range" at the top to refine the data. You can even compare date ranges to see seasonal trends!
Common Questions, Concerns, Goals, and Transformations
"The search volume shows ranges, not exact numbers. Is this still useful?"
Yes, absolutely! Even ranges like "1K-10K" or "10K-100K" are incredibly valuable for beginners. They tell you if a keyword has any significant volume and whether it's more popular than another. For content planning, knowing if a topic gets hundreds or thousands of searches is often enough to prioritize. The goal isn't always pinpoint accuracy, but relative popularity.
"It seems complicated with all the metrics. Where should I focus?"
For beginners, your primary goal is to identify relevant keywords with decent "Avg. monthly searches." The "Competition" metric (Low/Medium/High) can be a secondary filter. Don't get bogged down by bid estimates initially unless you're planning to run ads immediately. Your goal is the transformation from guessing what your audience wants to knowing it based on data.
"My keywords don't have high search volume. Should I give up?"
Not at all! Low search volume isn't always a bad thing. Highly specific, "long-tail keywords" (e.g., "best durable hiking boots for women with narrow feet") often have lower individual search volumes but can convert at a higher rate because they reflect very specific user intent. They are also usually less competitive, making them easier to rank for. Your goal is to find a balance between volume and relevance/competition.
"How do I choose the 'best' keywords?"
There's no single "best." It's about finding keywords that are:
Relevant: Truly describe what you offer or what your audience seeks.
Have sufficient search volume: Enough people are looking for it to make it worthwhile.
Manageable competition: You have a realistic chance of ranking for it (especially for organic SEO).
Your goal is to transform your content from general to targeted, attracting visitors who are genuinely interested.
Practical Advice for Beginners
Start Broad, Then Refine: Begin with general terms related to your business, then use Keyword Planner to find more specific, long-tail variations.
Think Like Your Customer: What exact words would they type into Google if they were looking for your product or service?
Don't Ignore "People also ask" and "Related searches": When you do a regular Google search, scroll down to see these sections. They offer great keyword ideas that people are genuinely searching for, which you can then plug back into Keyword Planner.
Look for Keyword Categories: Keyword Planner often groups related keywords into categories. This can help you find new thematic clusters for content.
Keep a Spreadsheet: Download your results and organize them. You might group keywords by topic, search volume, or even by which page on your website you plan to target them with.
It's a Starting Point: While Google Keyword Planner is powerful, remember it's one tool. As you advance, you might explore other tools that offer more granular data or competitive insights. But for getting started, it's perfect.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Do I need a credit card to use Google Keyword Planner?
A1: Yes, you typically need to enter billing information when setting up a Google Ads account. However, you don't need to run ads to use the Keyword Planner tool. Just make sure to pause any initial campaign you create to avoid charges.
Q2: Why does Google Keyword Planner show keyword search volume as ranges (e.g., 1K-10K)?
A2: For accounts that are not actively spending on Google Ads, Google Keyword Planner often provides search volume data in ranges rather than exact numbers. This is still highly useful for understanding relative popularity.
Q3: Is the "Competition" metric in Google Keyword Planner relevant for SEO?
A3: While "Competition" directly refers to advertising competition (how many advertisers are bidding on that term), it can indirectly signal organic competition. Keywords with "High" advertising competition often also have strong organic competition because many businesses see value in targeting them.
Q4: Can I use Google Keyword Planner to find keywords for my blog posts?
A4: Absolutely! It's an excellent tool for content creators. You can discover popular topics your audience is searching for, helping you create blog posts that resonate and attract organic traffic.
Q5: How accurate are Google Keyword Planner's search volume estimates?
A5: Google Keyword Planner provides estimates based on historical data. While they are approximations and can fluctuate, they are generally reliable enough for strategic planning and understanding demand. Remember that "exact" numbers are rarely truly exact due to the dynamic nature of search.
References
Google Ads Help. (n.d.). Use Keyword Planner. Retrieved from
Google Ads. (n.d.). Research Keywords for Campaigns with Keyword Planner. Retrieved from
MonsterInsights. (n.d.). How to Use Google Keyword Planner (A Step-by-Step Guide). Retrieved from
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